U.S. PIRG - Financial Reformhttps://uspirg.org/topics/financial-reform
enWhy The Legal Dispute Over the Leadership of the CFPB Mattershttps://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/why-legal-dispute-over-leadership-cfpb-matters
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<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-06T00:00:00-05:00">Tuesday, February 6, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p>There’s an important legal fight happening right now over the temporary leadership of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. And U.S. PIRG Education Fund, along with nine other consumer advocacy groups, just weighed in with a <a href="https://www.citizen.org/system/files/case_documents/consumer_groups_amicus.2.6.18.pdf" target="_blank">friend-of-the-court brief</a>. Our brief argues that the public interest lies in having the CFPB’s current deputy director, Leandra English, serve as the acting director until a new director is nominated by the President and confirmed by Congress.</p>
<p>The dispute arose following the departure of the former CFPB director, Rich Cordray, who left prior to the conclusion of his five-year term to run for governor in Ohio. Knowing that vacancies were bound to occur, Congress included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010—the law that created the CFPB—a specific provision clearly stating that the deputy director “shall serve . . . as acting Director in the absence or unavailability of the Director.” Thus, Leandra English (the CFPB’s deputy director) automatically became the agency’s acting director the moment Rich Cordray left office.</p>
<p>Simple, right? Well, the Trump administration saw this as an opportunity to attempt a hostile takeover of the CFPB and install a member of the President’s cabinet as the acting director. Using a general provision of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, President Trump purportedly named Mick Mulvaney—the current director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget—as the acting director of the CFPB. The problem, however, is that the specific provision of Dodd-Frank governs over the general provision of the FVRA. In addition, having a current member of the President’s cabinet serve as the acting director violates the intent of Dodd-Frank, which envisioned the CFPB as an independent financial regulator free from political influence.</p>
<p>To vindicate her right to temporarily lead the CFPB, Leandra English filed a <a href="http://guptawessler.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Pl-Amended-Complaint-12.6.17.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> in federal district court in Washington, D.C. Following the district court’s denial of her motion for a preliminary injunction, Ms. English appealed to the D.C. Circuit. In her <a href="http://guptawessler.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/English-v-Trump-Brief-1.30.pdf" target="_blank">opening brief</a>, she argues that the lower court was wrong when it denied her request for an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s unlawful actions and allowing her to continue to serve as the acting director.</p>
<p>In our brief in support of Ms. English’s appeal, we focus on how the public interest will be served by a ruling in Ms. English’s favor. Specifically, we point out that prior to Rich Cordray’s departure, the CFPB vigorously served the public interest because it was able to function as an independent financial regulator exactly as Congress intended. Our brief sets out just a few of the many ways that the CFPB has helped consumers, such as addressing over one million consumer complaints and returning $12 billion in relief to 29 million wronged consumers nationwide. Our brief then argues that without court action in Ms. English’s favor, the CFPB will be stymied from pursuing its mission as an independent regulator and will instead become a politically-driven tool of the Trump administration. This is not what Congress intended when it created the agency and such a result would most certainly not be in the public interest.</p>
<p>The appellate court will hear oral argument from the parties on April 12, and the court will issue its opinion sometime in the weeks or months that follow. U.S. PIRG Education Fund hopes that the court recognizes the public interest and rules in favor of Ms. English.</p>
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Tue, 06 Feb 2018 22:25:54 +0000edm60506 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/why-legal-dispute-over-leadership-cfpb-matters#commentsConsumer Advocates Explain Crucial Public Interest in a Strong CFPBhttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/consumer-advocates-explain-crucial-public-interest-strong-cfpb
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For Immediate Release
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<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-06T00:00:00-05:00">Tuesday, February 6, 2018</span>
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<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial to the agency’s mission of protecting consumers, 10 groups told a court today in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.</p>
<p>The groups are Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform, Center for Responsible Lending, Consumer Action, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumer Law Center, National Consumers League, National Fair Housing Alliance, Tzedek DC, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.</p>
<p>In the case, CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English is appealing the trial court’s denial of a preliminary injunction allowing her to serve as acting director of the CFPB while litigation proceeds over the lawful acting director—herself or U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. In their amicus filing, the groups explain that the public interest supports English serving as the acting director while the court further considers the legal issues.</p>
<p>“Financial regulators, like the CFPB, are supposed to be independent so that they can do their job free from political influence. In this case, the public interest is served by following the clear statutory language—the CFPB’s Deputy Director, Leandra English, is the agency’s Acting Director,” <strong>said Mike Landis, Litigation Director for U.S. PIRG Education Fund.</strong></p>
<p>The amicus brief is <a href="https://www.citizen.org/system/files/case_documents/consumer_groups_amicus.2.6.18.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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<p align="center"><em><a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://uspirgedfund.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1518036365660000&amp;usg=AFQjCNELk2zCWJKNTT1qmmYV4VaWq52Qsw">U.S. PIRG Education Fund</a> is an independent, non-partisan group that works for consumers and the public interest. Through research, public education and outreach, we serve as counterweights to the influence of powerful special interests that threaten our health, safety or well-being.</em></p>
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Agency’s Independence Necessary to Its Mission, Groups Tell Court
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U.S. PIRG Education Fund
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<p>The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial to the agency’s mission of protecting consumers, 10 groups, including U.S. PIRG Education Fund, told a U.S. appellate court today in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The groups are supporting the appeal of CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English in her lawsuit against the President and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney over the proper leadership of the Bureau in the absence of a Senate-confirmed director.</p>
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Tue, 06 Feb 2018 20:49:04 +0000edm60496 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/consumer-advocates-explain-crucial-public-interest-strong-cfpb#commentsReports that CFPB Dropping Equifax Investigation Raise Major Questionshttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/reports-cfpb-dropping-equifax-investigation-raise-major-questions
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<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-05T00:00:00-05:00">Monday, February 5, 2018</span>
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<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/xxp/ed-mierzwinski">Ed Mierzwinski</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p><strong>Statement from U.S. PIRG's Ed Mierzwinski on reports that CFPB is dropping its investigation into the Equifax breach:</strong></p>
<p>Widespread media reports that the CFPB acting director, Mick Mulvaney of OMB, is dropping its investigation into the Equifax breach leave its 145 million consumer-victims with nowhere to go. Only the Consumer Bureau has the tools and powers needed to investigate and hold the powerful financial gatekeeper Equifax accountable. It is time for the President to move his part-time caretaker back into the White House and to nominate a full-time director who is qualified to do, and will do, the CFPB's only job: protecting consumers in the financial marketplace. </p>
<p>This lack of enforcement also underscores the need for Congress to pass two important reforms. The "Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act," introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Mark Warner (VA), will hold big credit bureaus accountable when they fail to protect our information (our <a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/will-make-equifax-think-twice-about-how-they’re-protecting-your-data" target="_blank"><strong>blog</strong></a>). The "Control Your Personal Credit Information Act" (S. 2362), from Senator Jack Reed (RI), will give consumers greater control over when and how their consumer reports are shared by consumer reporting agencies (his <a href="https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-introduces-bill-to-help-consumers-protect-their-personal-credit-information" target="_blank"><strong>release</strong></a>)."</p>
<p>-30-</p>
<p>U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at<a href="http://www.uspirg.org/" target="_blank"> www.uspirg.org</a>.</p>
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<p>Widespread media reports that the CFPB acting director, Mick Mulvaney of OMB, is dropping its investigation into the Equifax breach leave its 145 million consumer-victims with nowhere to go. </p>
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Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:30:59 +0000ekowalski60481 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/reports-cfpb-dropping-equifax-investigation-raise-major-questions#commentsSenator: Consumers Should Have More Control Over Credit Reports. We Agree.https://uspirg.org/blogs/eds-blog/usp/senator-consumers-should-have-more-control-over-credit-reports-we-agree
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<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-01T00:00:00-05:00">Thursday, February 1, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/xxp/ed-mierzwinski">Ed Mierzwinski</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p>Throughout the anger and frustration over the Equifax breach debacle, consumers, reporters and legislators have repeatedly asked me: "Ed, why don't consumers, not credit bureaus, control when their credit reports can be shared or sold?" Now comes U.S. Senator Jack Reed (RI) with a PIRG-backed bill to do just that! Today, Senator Reed introduced the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2362" target="_blank"><strong>Control Your Personal Credit Information Act (S. 2362)</strong></a>, "which seeks to give consumers greater control over when and how their consumer reports are shared by consumer reporting agencies (his <a href="https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-introduces-bill-to-help-consumers-protect-their-personal-credit-information" target="_blank"><strong>release</strong></a>)."</p>
<p>We have long worked to improve the accuracy and security of credit reports and to give consumers more control over them.</p>
<ul><li>In the 1990s, we helped win several state laws providing consumers with the right to free credit reports annually on request, which led to passage of a federal right to a free credit report in 2003.</li>
<li>After a hard-fought battle in 2003, where we defended the rights of states (a right still under <a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/eds-blog/usp/we-warn-congress-after-equifax-firms-will-step-trojan-horse-efforts-eliminate" target="_blank"><strong>continuous industry attack</strong></a>) to pass stronger privacy and identity theft reform laws, we worked <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=846505" target="_blank"><strong>in coalition with Consumers Union</strong></a> (and AARP) throughout the 2000s to pass data breach notification and credit (security) freeze bills in nearly every state.</li>
<li>Now, after the massive Equifax breach finally announced in September, we've worked hard and seen movement in a number of states and Congress on legislation to <a href="https://uspirg.org/news/usp/us-pirg-consumer-advocate-mike-litt-testifies-congressional-hearing-equifax" target="_blank"><strong>make credit freezes (and temporary lifts) free</strong></a>. </li>
</ul><p>Senator Reed's bill takes the critical next step. In answer to the question,"Ed, why don't consumers, not credit bureaus, control when their credit reports can be shared or sold?" it answers, "Why not? Let's change it up. Let's give consumers control over their information that the big credit bureaus have been collecting and selling without consumer permission for too long." <a href="https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-introduces-bill-to-help-consumers-protect-their-personal-credit-information" target="_blank"><strong>As the Senator explains in his release</strong></a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Credit reports play a crucial role in Americans’ lives, as most creditors use them to help determine whether to extend credit and at what rate. “But under existing law, the current consumer reporting system is backwards. Consumer reporting agencies collect so much information on us, often without our consent, so at the very least, they should ask us for our permission before they share or sell our information. The Control Your Personal Credit Information Act would fix the current upside down system by giving consumers greater control -- at no cost to the consumer -- over when and how their information is released when applying for new credit, a loan, or insurance, [said Senator Reed].”</p></blockquote>
<p>We're backing the bill, along with the credit report experts at <a href="https://www.nclc.org/issues/credit-reports.html" target="_blank"><strong>National Consumer Law Center</strong></a> and other leading groups. Giving consumers control over their personal information is the right thing to do. We're still working to make the security freeze free. We're still trying to figure out <a href="https://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-equifax’s-lock-alert-product-announcement" target="_blank"><strong>just what the heck Equifax is up to.</strong></a> We're still trying to rein in the big credit bureaus. But we're glad that Senator Jack Reed is answering the next question that everyone is asking. His bill would change the "upside-down" credit reporting system. It is bad enough that credit bureaus don't treat us as customers -- just products to be sold -- but even worse when they don't give our financial DNA the respect it deserves.</p>
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Thu, 01 Feb 2018 21:09:58 +0000edm60341 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/blogs/eds-blog/usp/senator-consumers-should-have-more-control-over-credit-reports-we-agree#commentsJoint Statement: Transfer of CFPB Consumer Response Unit Offers No Clear Benefithttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/joint-statement-transfer-cfpb-consumer-response-unit-offers-no-clear-benefit
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For Immediate Release
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<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-01T00:00:00-05:00">Thursday, February 1, 2018</span>
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<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/xxp/ed-mierzwinski">Ed Mierzwinski</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p><strong>The following statement can be attributed jointly to <a href="http://ourfinancialsecurity.org" target="_blank">Americans for Financial Reform</a>, <a href="//www.consumer-action.org" target="_blank">Consumer Action</a> and U.S. PIRG:</strong></p>
<p>This week, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, in the role he is asserting as the CFPB’s acting director (and facing a legal challenge to his status) told employees of several re-structuring moves. Among these, he is transferring the CFPB’s highly valuable Office of Consumer Response into the <em>Consumer Education and Engagement</em> division.</p>
<p>While Mulvaney’s statement expressed his intention for efficiency we must ask:</p>
<ul><li>Consumer Response has essentially been an independent office housed in the Operations Division. As such, its research on consumer complaint trends has been equally available to all divisions and offices, including, for example, Supervision, Enforcement and Fair Lending; Research, Markets and Regulations; and Consumer Education and Engagement. Is this transfer designed to diminish the Consumer Response unit’s important role in helping all units of the agency collect and understand the ongoing complaints that consumers raise? What benefit does this transfer provide consumers and will this relocation affect the Complaint unit’s budget?</li>
</ul><ul><li>Why is the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity also being relocated, and reorganized under the director’s office? How does that improve consumer protection? (See <a href="http://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2018/02/joint-statement-changes-cfpb-fair-lending-office-undermine-anti-discrimination-work/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2018/02/joint-statement-changes-cfpb-fair-lending-office-undermine-anti-discrimination-work/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1517601918685000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGy0ZeU2bZsYBnUXrT6W64VGPs0Vg">separate statement</a> on the Office of Fair Lending from Americans for Financial Reform and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.)</li>
</ul><ul><li>Under previous Bureau leadership, each division, department and office had a mandate to regularly monitor the consumer complaints that related to that department’s functions. Will that mandate continue?</li>
</ul><ul><li>Will the Consumer Response Office continue to issue reports with comparative data of interest not only to consumers, but also to companies, competitors and academics?</li>
</ul><ul><li>Why make changes to some of the Bureau’s most consumer-oriented offices at all?</li>
</ul><ul><li>Given that the budget director is only temporarily leading this agency, why would he choose to reorganize the parts of the agency without a permanent director at the helm?</li>
</ul><p>The Consumer Response (Complaints) unit of the CFPB is an integral part of the Bureau. It empowers consumers and the consumer agency with firsthand information to help individuals make wise financial decisions, helps the Bureau prioritize its efforts to focus on patterns of harmful practices and helps to hold companies accountable. We plan to examine the effects of this change closely.</p>
<p>-30-</p>
<p>U.S. PIRG maintains an <strong><a href="https://uspirg.org/page/usp/reports-cfpb-gets-results-consumers" target="_blank">archive of its 11 reports</a></strong> (so far) based on analysis of the CFPB's Public Consumer Complaint Database.</p>
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U.S. PIRG
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<p>This week, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, now also acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, made several concerning "administrative changes," including to move the Consumer Response Office, responsible for handling consumer complaints and managing the Bureau's public consumer complaint database, which U.S. PIRG has relied on for 11 (so far) analytic studies of the consumer financial marketplace. We issued the following joint statement, along with Americans for Financial Reform and Consumer Action.</p>
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Thu, 01 Feb 2018 20:31:33 +0000edm60326 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/joint-statement-transfer-cfpb-consumer-response-unit-offers-no-clear-benefit#commentsWe Need A Consumer Champion To Lead The Consumer Bureauhttps://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/we-need-consumer-champion-lead-consumer-bureau
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<a href="/blogs/usp/blog">Blog</a>
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<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-02-01T00:00:00-05:00">Thursday, February 1, 2018</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/usp/mike-litt">Mike Litt</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1cIgfhd8JLK_fbxabry67-uDNllWOZfRyVBA1XcE0hvZSLCbDuBCkVgujNXB5WKjilkZsSfIxbwjSVF-5ZEs7_emdgqBBnR7BFur03n7K3PGMkPAHiQJ0rMh_6kpvNavnXKCWtOz" alt="" width="419" height="537" /></p>
<p>Photo: Mike Licht via Flickr, CC BY 2.0</p>
<p dir="ltr">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Mick Mulvaney has said, “Look, I'm not here to shut the place down because the law doesn't allow me to do that.” </p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">His actions speak louder.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Mulvaney requested $0 for this quarter’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/18/mulvaney-funding-consumer-bureau-cordray-345495">budget</a> from the Federal Reserve. He has claimed the plan is to operate off of surplus money that former Director Richard Cordray had saved as a reserve fund for emergencies. </p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Another example? Mulvaney’s recent statement that the Consumer Bureau has put their <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/24/579961808/under-trump-appointee-consumer-protection-agency-seen-helping-payday-lenders">payday lending rule on hold.</a> The rule, finalized in October 2017 under the direction of Cordray, would restrict payday lenders’ ability to grant consecutive high-interest-rate loans. These loans have been trapping consumers into cycles of debt that are hard to escape.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">From requesting no budget to moving the agency away from its mission, it’s clear: Mulvaney is not leading the Consumer Bureau, he’s trying to undermine it.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JCPSONUM2vUWjgaQVgEZBE1mk5jvQxRoRxY6bDyLKr93JscX62ehmBYP6nUV8jfQWxSj1w3i5APU54l1W0E-HVVUu_ui4A8XsrCXoOVZDFR_BPaOmiT7IErfd4i4Zhbg1ELOv6mU" alt="" width="439" height="439" /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Photo: Staff</p>
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<p dir="ltr">The Consumer Bureau is set up to be our watchdog on Wall Street. Since it was created in 2011, the bureau has returned more than $12 billion to consumers hurt by financial wrongdoing. But it can’t do its job without a director who believes in its mission. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong id="docs-internal-guid-8e6f8326-4e9a-98c8-7fb7-18c3f62da6b5"> </strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Mulvaney’s recent actions are just attempts to weaken the bureau’s ability to work on behalf of consumers and be an effective watchdog on Wall Street. </p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">That’s why we’re calling on our senators to only confirm a qualified consumer champion to permanently lead the Consumer Bureau. You can help by <a href="https://uspirg.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=24274&amp;_ga=2.23987578.1960704994.1517419559-759536796.1507588481">taking action now.</a></p>
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<a href="/topics/financial-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Financial Reform</a> </li>
</ul>
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:48:05 +0000jnewman60281 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/we-need-consumer-champion-lead-consumer-bureau#commentsStatement on Equifax’s Lock & Alert Product Announcementhttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-equifax%E2%80%99s-lock-alert-product-announcement
<div class="field field-name-field-newsrelease-status field-type-text field-label-hidden">
For Immediate Release
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden">
<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-01-31T00:00:00-05:00">Wednesday, January 31, 2018</span>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/usp/mike-litt">Mike Litt</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p dir="ltr"><strong>This statement can be attributed to Mike Litt, Consumer Campaign Director at U.S. PIRG</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">“Today, Equifax launched Lock &amp; Alert, a service that will let consumers lock and unlock their Equifax credit reports indefinitely for free. This service only blocks access to Equifax credit reports, not credit reports at the other two bureaus, Experian and TransUnion.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Locks appear to block access to credit reports the same way that credit freezes do. Freezes and locks both deny thieves the ability to open any fake accounts in your name. However, freezes are a right mandated by law and not conditional on terms set by companies.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After reviewing the Lock &amp; Alert agreement and terms of use, it does not appear consumers are giving up their rights to a day in court, as they are with a different terms of use on Equifax’s website. But your rights as a consumer are on firmer ground with a freeze under law.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Equifax has also extended its deadline for getting free credit freezes on its credit reports from today to June 30th. Regardless of the extension, we recommend consumers should act sooner than later because each day that goes by is another day an identity thief could open an account in your name if you haven’t blocked access to your credit report. And we don’t think there should be any deadline at all. Freezes should be free for consumers to get at any and all times.</p>
<p>Blocking access to your credit reports at all three national credit bureaus remains the best action consumers can take after the Equifax breach, whether they were affected by it or not.</p>
<p>Whether consumers chose to get a free freeze or a lock on their Equifax credit reports, they will also need to get freezes at Experian and TransUnion for complete protection. Blocking access to your credit report with one bureau but not the other two is like locking your front door but leaving your garage and back doors wide open</p>
<p>However, In most states, you’ll have to pay fees at the other two bureaus. U.S. PIRG opposes these fees because consumers shouldn’t have to pay to protect themselves for a problem they didn’t create. Regardless, we recommend paying the fees for the peace of mind that comes from protecting yourself from new account identity theft.</p>
<p dir="ltr">-30-</p>
<p dir="ltr">Our step-by-step guide for placing credit freezes with all three bureaus is available<a href="https://uspirg.org/resources/usp/protect-yourself-against-new-account-id-theft" target="_blank"> here</a>. FAQs about the Equifax data breach are available<a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/consumer-tips-and-faq-about-equifax-breach" target="_blank"> here</a>.</p>
<p>U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at<a href="http://www.uspirg.org/" target="_blank"> www.uspirg.org</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-term-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/topics/financial-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Financial Reform</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-noderef-issues field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/issues/usp/consumer-protection">Consumer Protection</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-organization field-type-text field-label-hidden">
U.S.PIRG
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-summary field-type-text-long field-label-hidden">
<p>Our statement on the today's launch by Equifax of Lock &amp; Alert, a service that will let consumers lock and unlock their Equifax credit reports indefinitely for free to stop new account identity theft. This service, similar to state mandated credit freezes, only blocks access to Equifax credit reports, not credit reports at the other two bureaus, Experian and TransUnion. U.S. PIRG's advice: Blocking access to your credit reports at all three national credit bureaus remains the best action consumers can take after the Equifax breach, whether they were affected by it or not. </p>
</div>
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 21:04:24 +0000edm60271 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-equifax%E2%80%99s-lock-alert-product-announcement#commentsStatement of U.S. PIRG On Court Ruling Upholding Constitutionality of CFPB Leadership Structurehttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-us-pirg-court-ruling-upholding-constitutionality-cfpb-leadership-structure
<div class="field field-name-field-newsrelease-status field-type-text field-label-hidden">
For Immediate Release
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden">
<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-01-31T00:00:00-05:00">Wednesday, January 31, 2018</span>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/xxp/ed-mierzwinski">Ed Mierzwinski</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p dir="ltr"><strong>The following statement can be attributed to Ed Mierzwinski, Senior Director, Federal Consumer Programs, U.S. PIRG </strong></p>
<p>“U.S. PIRG is glad that the full D.C. Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, correctly rejected the constitutional challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's leadership structure. When creating the CFPB, Congress recognized the importance of having an independent regulator to enforce our federal financial consumer protection laws. The decision fully comports with the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent. This decision is a win for American consumers.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">-30-</p>
<p dir="ltr">U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at <a href="http://uspirg.org/" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://uspirg.org&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1517516479424000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGps3cxSrCDdlF3jSkrtByEkvWONg">uspirg.org</a>. U.S. PIRG Education Fund is its research and education affiliate. USPIRGEF's amicus brief to the court can be found <a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/phh-v-cfpb-latest-attack-consumer-bureau-0" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/phh-v-cfpb-latest-attack-consumer-bureau-0&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1517516479424000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEJJuUZv3rlPM9TCeoju7UgKEaJFA">here</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-term-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/topics/financial-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Financial Reform</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-noderef-issues field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/issues/usp/consumer-protection">Consumer Protection</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-organization field-type-text field-label-hidden">
U.S. PIRG
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-summary field-type-text-long field-label-hidden">
<p>Here is our statement on today's decision by the full D.C. Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, upholding the constitutionality of the Consumer Bureau's single-director structure. We had filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief in support of that position. The decision is a big victory for consumers.</p>
</div>
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 20:52:22 +0000edm60266 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-us-pirg-court-ruling-upholding-constitutionality-cfpb-leadership-structure#commentsStatement by Mike Litt, Consumer Campaign Director at U.S. PIRG on Extended Deadline for Free Equifax Credit Freezehttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-mike-litt-consumer-campaign-director-us-pirg-extended-deadline-free-equifax
<div class="field field-name-field-newsrelease-status field-type-text field-label-hidden">
For Immediate Release
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden">
<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-01-30T00:00:00-05:00">Tuesday, January 30, 2018</span>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/usp/mike-litt">Mike Litt</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p dir="ltr">Statement by Mike Litt, Consumer Campaign Director at U.S. PIRG on Extended Deadline for Free Equifax Credit Freeze</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">“Equifax has yet again extended the deadline for getting free freezes on Equifax credit reports following its massive data breach. </p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Amid today’s news reports of a change in deadline from January 31st to June 30th, we called Equifax's freeze department and received confirmation of the change. </p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Although this gives consumers more time, there should be no deadline at all. Freezes should be free for consumers to get at any and all times. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Also, consumers should act sooner than later because each day that goes by is another day an identity thief could open an account in your name if you don't have a freeze on your credit report.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Getting credit freezes at all three national credit bureaus remains the best action consumers can take after the Equifax breach, whether they were affected by it or not. Even though in most states you’ll outrageously still have to pay fees at Experian and TransUnion, you should get the free freeze with Equifax while you still can.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">-30-</p>
<p dir="ltr">Our step-by-step guide for placing credit freezes with all three bureaus is available<a href="https://uspirg.org/resources/usp/protect-yourself-against-new-account-id-theft?_ga=2.240653574.44365637.1516812303-1847373565.1502309609" target="_blank"> here</a>. FAQs about the Equifax data breach are available<a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/consumer-tips-and-faq-about-equifax-breach" target="_blank"> here</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at<a href="http://www.uspirg.org/" target="_blank"> www.uspirg.org</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-term-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/topics/financial-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Financial Reform</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-noderef-issues field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/issues/usp/consumer-protection">Consumer Protection</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-organization field-type-text field-label-hidden">
U.S. PIRG
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-summary field-type-text-long field-label-hidden">
<p>Equifax has changed the date for its offers after its outrageous data breach-- they lost information for 145 million consumers.Read more. We have not changed our own advice.</p>
</div>
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 02:35:31 +0000edm60221 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/statement-mike-litt-consumer-campaign-director-us-pirg-extended-deadline-free-equifax#commentsU.S. PIRG Urges Consumers to Get Free Credit Freeze by January 31st Deadlinehttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/us-pirg-urges-consumers-get-free-credit-freeze-january-31st-deadline
<div class="field field-name-field-newsrelease-status field-type-text field-label-hidden">
For Immediate Release
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-post-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden">
<span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2018-01-26T00:00:00-05:00">Friday, January 26, 2018</span>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-author-bio field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/staff/usp/mike-litt">Mike Litt</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden">
<p dir="ltr">Washington, D.C. — Ahead of three changes to what Equifax is offering consumers following its breach of 145 million consumer records, U.S. PIRG is urging consumers to get free credit freezes with Equifax by January 31st if they haven’t already.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Getting credit freezes at all three national credit bureaus is the best action consumers can take after the Equifax breach, whether they were affected by it or not,” said Mike Litt, Consumer Campaign Director with U.S. PIRG. “Even though you’ll outrageously still have to pay fees at Experian and TransUnion, you should get the free freeze with Equifax while you still can.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The three changes to what Equifax is offering consumers are the following:</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">TrustedID Premier: January 31st is the last day to sign up for TrustedID Premier, Equifax’s initial offer after the breach. It provides one year of free services such as credit monitoring. It doesn’t hurt to sign up for these services. However, you should know they are limited and, at best, only alert you to identity theft after it has occurred.Therefore, we also recommend you freeze your credit reports with all three national credit bureaus.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Equifax Credit Freeze: January 31st is also the last day Equifax will waive the fee it normally charges consumers to get credit freezes on their Equifax credit reports. We recommend that you take advantage of this option. The page for getting it is available at <a href="http://www.freeze.equifax.com" target="_blank">www.freeze.equifax.com</a>.</p>
</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr">What is a credit freeze? It is a commonsense tool that allows consumers to freeze access to their credit history and scores, denying thieves the ability to open any fake accounts in their names.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Note: For complete protection, you’ll need to freeze your reports with the other two bureaus, too. In most states, it costs $3-10 to get a freeze at each bureau and $2-12 each time you want to temporarily remove a freeze or apply for credit, or in some cases, apply for a job. Fees by state are available at <a href="http://bit.ly/pirgfreezemap" target="_blank">bit.ly/pirgfreezemap</a>. U.S. PIRG opposes these fees because consumers shouldn’t have to pay to protect themselves for a problem they didn’t create. However, we recommend paying the fees for the peace of mind that comes from protecting yourself from new account identity theft.</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Lock &amp; Alert: January 31st is the launch date for Lock &amp; Alert, a service that will let consumers lock and unlock their Equifax credit reports indefinitely for free. This service only blocks access to Equifax credit reports, not credit reports at the other two bureaus.</p>
</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr">Locks appear to block access to credit reports the same way freezes do. However, freezes are a right by law and not conditional on terms set by companies. We will review the terms of service when they are made public to determine if it is a good option for consumers. As with a freeze, this lock is only for Equifax reports, so credit freezes are also needed with the two other bureaus.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Blocking access to your credit report with one bureau but not the other two is like locking your front door but leaving your garage and back doors wide open,” said Litt. “That’s why state PIRGS are working with state policymakers to make credit freezes free at all three national credit bureaus. We didn't hire Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to collect financial data about us, and we certainly didn't give them permission to lose it. So shouldn’t we have a right by law to to keep our financial information private and secure for free?”</p>
<p dir="ltr">-30-</p>
<p dir="ltr">Our step-by-step guide for placing credit freezes with all three bureaus is available<a href="https://uspirg.org/resources/usp/protect-yourself-against-new-account-id-theft?_ga=2.240653574.44365637.1516812303-1847373565.1502309609" target="_blank"> here</a>. FAQs about the Equifax data breach are available<a href="https://uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/consumer-tips-and-faq-about-equifax-breach"> here</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups. PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations that stand up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. On the web at<a href="http://www.uspirg.org/" target="_blank"> www.uspirg.org</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-term-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/topics/financial-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Financial Reform</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-noderef-issues field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden">
<a href="/issues/usp/consumer-protection">Consumer Protection</a>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-organization field-type-text field-label-hidden">
U.S. PIRG
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-shared-summary field-type-text-long field-label-hidden">
<p>Ahead of three changes to what Equifax is offering consumers following its breach of 145 million consumer records, U.S. PIRG is urging consumers to get free credit freezes with Equifax by January 31st if they haven’t already.</p>
</div>
Fri, 26 Jan 2018 14:45:54 +0000edm60176 at https://uspirg.orghttps://uspirg.org/news/usp/us-pirg-urges-consumers-get-free-credit-freeze-january-31st-deadline#comments